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Jacques Plante's "pretzel" fiberglass goalie mask was one of the first ever used in professional hockey.
This is Plante's third mask, worn while playing for the New York Rangers from 1963 to 1965.
Plante first wore a mask in a National Hockey League game
on November 1, 1959, while playing for the Montréal Canadiens against the New York Rangers.
He had been wearing a mask in practice since 1955,
but coach Toe Blake did not let him wear it in games.
That night Plante was struck by a puck and his face was stitched from nose to lip.
He insisted he would only return to play if allowed to wear his mask.
As history would have it, the team won that game by a score of 4 to 1.
Plante continued to wear the mask, leading the team in an eleven-game winning streak and finally winning the Stanley Cup.
Today, helmets, visors, and other protective head-gear are worn by all NHL players.